It was also in the second decade of the century that comedy came to the fore. It had a broad audience; those who wanted a good laugh and little else from the movies. The one or two-reel entertainments used several styles to achieve their ends. Trick films, chases and risqué comedies were the usual formats. However, a new cinematic style developed, taken from Punch and Judy shows Slapstick, was both physical and boisterous. It became a great favorite and was used by Mack Sennett so successfully it became his trademark. Originally employed by the Biograph Company, Sennett went on to work for the Keystone Studio as a director. His list of players, among others, included Mabel Normand, Charlie Chaplin, Fatty Arbuckle, and Charlie Chase. In addition to slapstick, Sennett used rapid cutting that ran the film so fast that the frames became blurs and many of the films became parodies.

Charlie Chaplin was the creative, thoughtful player of the group. He quickly established his place as first among equals and with his inventiveness never repeated a performance. The "Tramp" persona offered him an opportunity to add poignancy to whatever character he chose to play. His most popular work for Sennett was Tillie's Punctured Romancee. Chaplin left Sennett after a year having directed some films for the company. He wanted complete autonomy to write, direct, produce and perform in his own films, which he did, first at Essanay then at the Mutual Company. His comic genius can best be explained by his ability to be both very funny and deeply touching and compassionate at the same time.

A different type of comedy began to emerge once the slapstick of Mack Sennett was firmly entrenched. The genre reflected that strata of society considered the American middle classes. Domestic comedy usually featured misunderstandings between husband and wife or other family members. This kind of comedy became a great favorite with audiences. Two future stars began their careers in this genre. They were Harold Lloyd and Douglas Fairbanks Sr. Fairbanks' athleticism and good looks made him a leading man/action hero in his next screen incarnation.